libya now, and closing in on the capital in the west, he ordered another counter-attack today. the reports of heavy fighting in cities near tripoli forces loyal to qaddafi in an effort to hold on to territory, opened fire on a mosque occupied by anti-government protesters. in a rambling phone call to state tv, qaddafi said al qaeda and osama bin laden are behind the uprising. meanwhile, the exodus of foreigners continued today, the tripoli airport jammed with people trying to get out. more than 160 americans will remain on aboard a ferry set to leave tripoli for malta soopdz the weather clears. cbs news correspondent mandy clark is in libya tonight and begins our coverage. >> reporter: libyan rebels were taking joe rides today in armored vehicles seized when the army in the eastern half of the country gave up the fight. in tobruk, we got a firsthand

look at the power vacuum left behind, a people's militia on the side of the protesters gave us a tour of the weapons depot they were guarding. the ground was littered with dangerous munitions, scattered when the retreating troops loyal to qaddafi blew you want bunkers to keep the weapons out of rebel hands. one underground krarb is still intact. these men told us they're all local people who will stay on guard here until order is restored. muammar gaddafi was back on state tv today, painting a very different picture of the situation. he called in by phone to say the protesters were all misguided young people given drugs by al qaeda. it was a depressed, rather than defiant qaddafi who said, "when the oil flow stops because of what's happening, you can bring bin laden to provide for you." far from tripoli where the fighting has died down, this is what the protests looked like, a day out for the family. this is the main square in

tobruk, where protesters are here day and night, calling for qaddafi to step down, but it's also part of a celebration because this town is already part of what protesters are calling free libya. and this is what free libya looks like-- coastal city where's most libyans live are falling like dominoes to the rebel forces. the port of tobruk, then derna, bayda and benghazi are now in the hands of protesters, and the latest word, misurta has slipped from qaddafi's control. benghazi saw some of the worst fighting. today the wounded were recovering in the hospital and the morgue was full to capacity. >> they killed him. >> reporter: we met a group of army officers who also refused to fight against their fellow citizens. did you as a group decide to defect? they told us they all came to

their decision on their own, and they insisted that qaddafi has very little support in the army. captain salma eissa made the tough call and knows she has a price on her head if qaddafi wins this power struggle. "we only have one aim. either we all die or qaddafi goes. i'm not scared at all," she told us. clearly, the protesters believe as qaddafi is going down and their piece of free libya will get bigger day by day. the most recent fighting is now in the west of the country in qaddafi's stronghold. the question is whether he's consolidating his forces or if it's his last stand. >> couric: mandy at this point, does muammar gaddafi have control over any members of his own military? >> reporter: well, we're hearing more and more reports that he's losing key units in the east of the country and relying more and

more on the mercenaries. katie. >> couric: mandy clark reporting tonight from libya. mandy, thank you very much. the white house said today president obama has called european leaders to review options for forcing qaddafi to stop firinging on the opposition and as david martin reports, everything is on the table. >> reporter: the state department is considering closing down the american embassy in libya as the u.s. clears the decks for sanctions and perhaps even military action that will, allegation the white house puts it, compel qaddafi to cease and desist. >> any strategy to compel a leader attempts to put at risk the things that he values-- his power, his money, his family. >> reporter: among the options the u.s. is considering-- u.n. sanctions, freezing or seizing qaddafi's assets, banning libyan officials and airliners from international travel, suspending exports to libya, all of which

take time, none of which go for the jugular. >> for a trade embargo to work with libya, you would have to consider seriously cutting off trade in oil. but the trick here is that the world needs libyan oil. >> reporter: other options involve intervention, sending in relief supplies, broadcasting to the libyan people, creating a no-fly zone over part or all of the country to prevent qaddafi from using his air force against the protesters. >> it may take military force or intervention of some sort to defend the libyan people and the protesters and to remove qaddafi from power. >> reporter: and although no one will talk about it, there has to be at least a plan for doing what the u.s. tried to do when it bombed qaddafi's tent back in 1986. >> if the human carnage is dramatic enough, there might be a sense that you have to take qaddafi out. >> reporter: that may be the only way to deal with a dictator who has said he intends to fight to the death.

katie. >> couric: david martin. david, thanks very much. now a security issue closer to home. u.s. officials say they foiled a terror attack in this country with the arrest of a 20-year-old saudi student. he came to the u.s. to study chemical engineering, but they say he was buying chemicals and his targets may have included a former president. bob orr is our justice correspondent. bob, how far along was this plot? >> reporter: katie, i have to tell you it was a pretty close call. sources say the suspect was only one chemical away from having the materials he need forward a real bomb. he had already researched targets and the f.b.i. knew nothing at all about him until the phone ready. khalid ali-aldawsari was not on any law enforcement radar until just three weeks ago when this north carolina chemical supplier called the f.b.i.. ali-aldawsari was trying to buy phenol, a key chemical in homemade explosives. he'sed his own name, address,

and phone number. that led the f.b.i. to this lubbock, texas apartment building and the 20-year-old saudi-born student stoount who officials say say classic lone wolf jihadist. secret searches will of the apartment veveeld evidence of a bomb plot, possibly targeting dams, former soldiers who spent timeat the abu ghraib prison, the dallas home of former president george w. bush and locations in new york. >> we're not surprised it is new york. new york is seenals the capital of the world. we know we're at the top of the terrorist target list. that's our operating assumption, that new york is every day a target for terrorists. >> reporter: the searches turned up wiring, chemical flasks, and a clock all bought from amazon.com. a haz-mat suit purchased on e-bay, plus 30 liters of nitric acid and three gal onlz of sulfuric acid. nitric acid and sulfuric acid when combined with fenlol can produce t.n.p., but he never got the last ingredient, phenol.

on his blog last march, ali-aldawsari wrote in arabic, only gratification from allaah is what i want. grant me martyr dom for your sake and make jihad easy for me. in a private journal he wrote, "after mastering the english language, learning how to build explosives, it is time for jihad sources tell us there's no evidence ali-aldawsari is connected to any terror group but he claims 9/11 and speeches by bin laden did inspire him to begin dreaming about carrying out some kind of attack in america. katie. >> couric: to business news now, general motors is continuing along the road to recovery. the company has just posted its first annual profit in six years. g.m. says it earned $4.7 billion last year, thanks to strong sales in the u.s. and china. meanwhile, toyota's bumpy ride continues. it announced another recall today. more than two million vehicles in this country. and it's a familiar problem-- accelerators that can get stuck.

john blackstone is in marina delray, california. and, john, i know two weeks ago, the government said toyota's electronics were not to blame for unintended acceleration. these recalls are actually about floor mats. are. >> reporter: that's right, katie. this about a low-tech car part, the floor mat, which toyota says can become displaced and potentially jammed the gas pedal. now, it's a problem that had already been identified in some models, but this recall shows floor mats are a potential problem in far more cars than previously identified, katie. >> couric: and why didn't toyota catch these problems earlier, john? >> reporter: well, toyota and the government say these recalls come after reviewing some 400,000 pages of toyota records. this is really an extension of the earlier recalls, but now, older models of toyota and lexus are being added. the toyota models involve read all suvs, including rav4s, 4

runnerers and highlanders. under the lexus brand, more than 400,000 vehicles are being recalled for the flor mat and accelerator fixes. it means that worldwide, toyota has now issued recalls of more than 14 million vehicles for issues related to unintend acceleration. the federal government says its investigation of this issue is now closed. katie. >> couric: john blackstone, john thank you. still ahead here on the cbs evening news, kate middleton gets a taste of her new life in the shiny light of the royal sun. but up next, whether a doctor recommends surgery depends not only on the state of your health but the state where you live. i'm friend, secret-keeper and playmate. do you think i'd let osteoporosis slow me down? so i asked my doctor about reclast because i heard it's the only once-a-year iv osteoporosis treatment. he told me all about it and i said that's the one for nana. he said reclast can help restrengthen my bones to help make them resistant to fracture for twelve months.

and reclast is approved to help protect from fracture in many places: hip, spine, even other bones. [ male announcer ] you should not take reclast if you're on zometa, have low blood calcium, kidney problems. or you're pregnant, plan to become pregnant or nursing. take calcium and vitamin d daily. tell your doctor if you develop severe muscle, bone or joint pain, of if you have dental problems, as rarely jaw problems have been reported. the most common side effects include flu like symptoms, fever, muscle or joint pain and headache. share the world with the ones you love! and ask your doctor about reclast. once-a-year reclast. year-long protection for on-the-go women. once-a-year reclast. want to transform dinner from blah to oh la la? cook with campbell's. with touches like a splash of fresh cream or sauterne wine. our soups help you put smiles on the faces of the ones you love. campbell's.® it's amazing what soup can do.™ you struggle to control your blood sugar. you exercise and eat right, but your blood sugar may still be high,

and you need extra help. ask your doctor about onglyza, a once daily medicine used with diet and exercise to control high blood sugar in adults with type 2 diabetes. adding onglyza to your current oral medicine may help reduce after meal blood sugar spikes and may help reduce high morning blood sugar. [ male announcer ] onglyza should not be used to treat type 1 diabetes or diabetic ketoacidosis. tell your doctor if you have a history or risk of diabetic ketoacidosis. onglyza has not been studied with insulin. using onglyza with medicines such as sulfonylureas may cause low blood sugar. some symptoms of low blood sugar are shaking, sweating and rapid heartbeat. call your doctor if you have an allergic reaction like rash, hives or swelling of the face, mouth or throat. ask your doctor if you also take a tzd as swelling in the hands, feet or ankles may worsen. blood tests will check for kidney problems. you may need a lower dose of onglyza if your kidneys are not working well or if you take certain medicines. [ male announcer ] ask your doctor about adding onglyza. extra help. extra control.

you may be eligible to pay $10 a month with the onglyza value card program. >> couric: your doctor's opinion count fairs lot when you're deciding whether to have elective surgery, but the advice you get may depend on where you live. that's according to a study out today in the "dartmouth atlas." we're consulting our own dr. , jon lapook, to explain what it means. >> reporter: when kathy sabadosa was diagnosed with early stage breast cancer in 2007, she agonized over her options. >> it was a pretty traumatic and devastating weekend at our house. >> reporter: patient likes sabadosa may not realize the treatment they get is strongly determined by why they live. >> as strange as it can seem, where people live can have more influence on the health care they receive than their medical condition or their own personal preferences. >> reporter: there's often no standard way of determining treatment. for example, women with early

stage breast cancer in viktoria, texas, were about seven times more likely to have a mastectomy than those in muncie, indiana, and surgery for early prostate cancer was 12 times more likely in san luis obispo than in albany, georgia. >> we think the differences as they stand now are probably related a lot to doctors' preferences for one procedure over another, even when both are pretty reasonable options. >> reporter: that's why some hospitals are using a process called "shared decision making." >> part a shared... >> reporter: a formal way for patients to learn about all their options. >> we want them to be so well informed they really get what they're signing up for. >> reporter: kathy sabadosa chose to have a mastekt me, a decision she is comfortable with >> having the shared decision making center open to me as a patient really gave me the sense of, wow, i do have choices. >> reporter: experts at dartmouth estimate 20% to 40% of elective procedures like back surgery would not be done if patients were properly informed. katie. >> couric: jon lapook, interesting and important,

thanks, jon. from health news to space. the >> it's an 11-day mission and "discovery" will be retired. with states out of money, public employee unions are coming under fire. we'll put that in focus.

hey what's going on? doing the shipping. man, it would be a lot easier if we didn't have to weigh 'em all.

if those boxes are under 70 lbs. you don't have to weigh 'em. with these priority mail flat rate boxes from the postal service, if it fits, it ships anywhere in the country for a low flat rate. no weigh? nope. no way. yeah. no weigh? sure. no way! uh-uh. no way. yes way, no weigh. priority mail flat rate shipping starts at just $4.95, only from the postal service. a simpler way to ship. oh, bayer aspirin? i'm not having a heart attack. it's my back. it works great for pain. [ male announcer ] nothing's proven to relieve pain better than extra strength bayer aspirin. it rushes relief to the site of pain. feel better? yeah. thanks for the tip. imagine a day when we can eat what we want and sleep soundly through the night. prevacid®24hr. just one pill helps keep you heartburn-free for a full 24 hours.

>> couric: in wisconsin today, state employees continued their protests in the capital against republican plans to cut their salaries and benefits and strip them of most of their collective bargaining rights. fair or not, with so many states facing money troubles, unions have become targets. tonight, seth doane puts the future of union in focus. >> reporter: flares once saved for bankers or millionaires are aim at unions. >> in bad times our jobs looked pretty good. i think that's what we're really experiencing. the public is suffering. >> reporter: teacher maryann woods-murphy sure knows. more than half of her family members educators, some in unions, some not. in the recession's wake, unionized teacher like maryann are now in the midst of a raging debate. republican governors in ten states from nevada to new jersey are taking aim at wages and

retirement benefits to help balance their budgets. as you all watch the news in wisconsin, in ohio, these protests, these demonstrations what, goes through your mind? are you worried? >> i'm very worried. i'm appalled, actually. >> reporter: appalled at what? >> at the way teachers are being addressed and ignored and demeaned and vilified. >> reporter: quite a change for a woman who is used to being honored. you're really a decorated teacher here. >> i am. >> reporter: a 32-year veteran and new jersey teacher of the year, maryann knows with education a top budget expense, teachers, like some in her own family, are open targets. folks are saying shouldn't there be some sort of shared sacrifice here? you're talking about benefits. you're talking about wage increases. we don't have jobs. it seems out of touch. >> you know, i do think that we need to share the sacrifice and it is happening. but not in such a top-down way. >> reporter: at the top is her

governor, chris christie, who said this week teachers should pay 30% of their own health care costs. that's up from the minimum 1.5% they pay now, and brings them in line to what private sector workers pay nationwide. if christie gets his way, they'll also contribute more to their pension plan. if those proposals are put into forecast a new jersey teacher with a family of four making an average of $66,000, would have to spend an extra $7,000, amounting to a 15% pay cut. but the big question already on the table in wisconsin and ohio is whether unions will lose their ability to negotiate for benefits as a group, something called collective bargaining. >> and we won't quit! >> reporter: richard trumka, the president of the afl-cio said this is more about busting unions than balancing budgets. >> this is not about a budget crisis. this is about the taking away people's rights to come together to bargain for a middle-class way of life. this is about defending the

middle class. >> reporter: union membership peaked in the 1950s when one in four americans joined a union. now it's just over one in 10. unions are credited with establishing a 40-hour work week overtime pay, and safety laws to improve working conditions. but they've also come under fire for being out of step with the modern workforce. >> the issue is, for critics of public sector unions, is that these produce, or end up producing not only fiscal burdens on the states, but also all kinds of rigid inefficiencies through the way that they negotiate work rules and the conditions of employment. >> reporter: this is a nonunion school. >> yes, it is a nonunion school. >> reporter: maryann's son-in-law, billy bowie, principal at this charter school says being able to deal with teachers directly keeps the school running more efficiently. >> i do believe unions do-- they do make it a little less flexible.

it's true. >> reporter: maryann's husband, joseph murphy is a teacher at a nearby private school. while not in a union, he relies on his wife's far better health care benefits. when you compatriot overall package, pay, benefits. >> in terms of dollars and cents she fares much better than i do, and i am making a good salary but not as good as maryann is. >> reporter: the next generation of teacher's, like maryann's 27-year-old daughter, melynda bowie, worry lgz the profession won't offer the same security or same degree of pride, either. >> if i'm wearing my union shirt sometimes i have to admit, i will zip up my jacket because i don't want to get into the conversation-- "oh, you're a teacher. why don't you give back? we're in a financial crisis. europe greedy." >> reporter: harsh words for those who have spent a lifetime giving. seth doane, cbs news, teaneck, new jersey. ♪ now the healing power of touch just got more powerful.

introducing precise from the makers of tylenol. precise pain relieving cream works quickly to activate sensory receptors. it helps block pain signals fast for relief you can feel precisely where you need it most. precise. only from the makers of tylenol. check out the myboniva program. it's free to join, and it shows you lots of ways to help improve your bone strength. like bone-healthy exercises that are easy to do. boniva works with your body to help stop and reverse bone loss. and myboniva gives you calcium-rich recipes... monthly reminders... and even a month of boniva, free. so call or go to myboniva.com and sign up now. ( announcer ) don't take boniva if you problems with your esophagus, low blood calcium, severe kidney disease, or can't sit or stand for at least one hour. follow dosing instructions carefully. stop taking boniva and tell your doctor if you have difficult or painful swallowing, chest pain or severe or continuing heartburn,

as these may be signs of serious upper digestive problems. if jaw problems or severe bone, joint, and/or muscle pain develop, tell your doctor. ask your doctor if boniva can help you stop losing and start reversing. and join the myboniva program. to get one month free, plus more tips and recipes, visit boniva.com, or call 1-800-4-boniva. [ male announcer ] an everyday moment can turn romantic anytime. and when it does, men with erectile dysfunction can be more confident in their ability to be ready with cialis for daily use. ♪ cialis for daily use is a clinically proven low-dose tablet you take every day so you can be ready anytime the moment's right. ♪ tell your doctor about your medical condition and all medications, and ask if you're healthy enough for sexual activity. don't take cialis if you take nitrates for chest pain, as this may cause an unsafe drop in blood pressure. [ man ] do not drink alcohol in excess with cialis.

side effects may include headache, upset stomach, delayed backache, or muscle ache. to avoid long-term injury, seek immediate medical help for an erection lasting more than 4 hours. if you have any sudden decrease or loss in hearing or vision, stop taking cialis and call your doctor right away. [ male announcer ] ask your doctor if cialis for daily use is right for you. for a 30-tablet free trial offer, go to cialis.com. >> couric: if you're keeping count, it's 64 days until the wedding of the decade, or the century-- take your pick. prince william and kate middleton have kept kept a lo profile since they announced their engagement, so mark phillips reports it was big news today when they appeared in public. >> reporter: a young engaged couple went for a walk by the seashore today and it seemed like the whole world came out to

watch. it wasn't just the first official appearance of the couple since their engagement was announced. it was a test drive for the kind of life kate middleton has let herself in for, one where her ever expression, every gesture, every wardrobe choice is scrutinized. they were here to name a sea wreckue boat in a place called trearddur bay on the remote west wreckue boat in a place called trearddur bay on the remote west coast of wales. >> i do the talking. >> reporter: it's a rubber boat, so you pour the champagne over it rather than break the bottle. it's not so much what they did as where they did it that mattered. this place, far from the pryingize of london, was chosen both because it's remote and familiar, because this is the place where the royal couple are going to live. in fact, it's the place where they more or less already live. william's airbase is just up the road and they live in a cottage just beyond that. if you wanted to pick a place where the couple would feel familiar and comfortable, especially kate, this would be it.

>> they live quite privately there, and she can go to the local supermarket. i mean, not many of us go into the supermarket and have a detective with us. i mean, you've got to have somebody to carry the shopping. >> reporter: william has long ago learned how to charm a crowd but what about kate? this kind of pressure is one of the things that drove william's mother, diana, to despair and bulimia. if anyone was worried that the woman who is about to become a future queen was a shrinking violet, they aren't anymore. the royals have found another rock star. they launched a new model of their lifeboat here today, and they launched a new model of the new glam couple of british royalty, too. mark phillips, cbs news, trearddur bay, wales. >> couric: and that is the cbs evening news for tonight. i'm katie couric. thank you for watching. i'll see you tomorrow. good night.

now, "entertainment tonight," the most watched entertainment news magazine in the world. j. lo's "american idol" wreakdown. >> i felt so bad. >> the new judge in tear after send fang favorite home. is she quitting the show. >> i don't want to do this anymore. then, paris, prince, blanket. the new interviews. >> you want t